The Annual Olive Tree Cycle

By Olivarama

Dec. 27, 2011 13:54 UTC

Like other plants, the olive tree is governed by a development cycle bound to the year’s seasons. Thus, having spent the winter in a deep state of lethargy, it is in the spring, summer and autumn that it undergoes the most stages. Every one of these will depend on how the buds have evolved.

While some of the buds sprouting from the olive tree will turn into blossoms that give shape to the fruit, others will move towards the future, becoming the first shoots and branches. These branches, in turn, will generate new buds so that this cycle is always guaranteed.

This and other subsequent cycles are known throughout the agronomous world as phenological stages, and, as we have seen, the former corresponds to budding.

In this process, the origin of everything is concentrated in the buds, which, in reality, protect a latent reduced version of the tree’s upper parts in the future.

In the case of the olive tree, these buds are located in the leaf axil, although they may also be found hidden in the oldest wood. From the moment they show their first signs of activity, they may evolve in two directions. Thus, some blossom into a cluster of flowers while others give life to a new shoot with leaves. Bearing this difference, we say there are flower and vegetative buds.

The visual differences between the two are barely discernible when closed. They do not become clear when observing their location on the tree either, as both types choose a secluded place to grow, exactly where the leaf joins its twig.

The future of these buds will depend on the various biochemical mechanisms that occur just before winter’s arrival, which we will analyze in more depth in future editions.

The budding begins

In both cases, the arrival of spring brings a gradual increase in the temperatures and more daylight hours. This triggers the beginning of the budding process in the tree. A return to life, now that the winter has been surpassed.

Logically, in warmer regions, this phenomenon takes place earlier than in cold zones. In Spain, this climate difference may be of up to two months, with the first olive groves budding in early March and the latest in late April.

When this process begins, the buds open the new leaves as these stretch over the outer edge, thus giving rise to the growth of a new branch. It should be clear in this explanation that the trees grow from their shoots and not, as people popularly believe, by “stretching” their branches or trunk.

This growth will be faster or slower depending on conditions such as the availability of water and light and the nutritional and sanitary conditions. This is why it is vitally important for the growth to be sufficient, as on these new branches, other leaves will develop and other new buds, allowing the olive tree to blossom the following year, which will, therefore, provide a fruitful future harvest.

In this phase, the growth pattern of the buds is always the same: two leaves that emerge in opposite directions on each internode, rotating their 90º angle on the following internode.

Chromatic variety as an indicator of change

On the other hand, we have all seen that olive trees do not cast off their leaves in the winter. On the contrary, these gradually and naturally fall when they turn yellow upon reaching the age of two or three years old. This phenomenon is more easily seen in the springtime, just when enough new leaves have appeared.

Budding changes the appearance of these trees due to the sap that is pushed onto their leaves by the roots. This is a clear sign of life that darkens or lightens the leaves as a prelude to its next stage: blossoming.

The Annual Olive Tree Cycle

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